Skinny Love
by Dino724
Summary: She reached out to grab his hand, but he pulled it back and brought it up to his chest. "Please," she begged, "don't go. You can stay, with me." He looked down at her, green eyes fiercely staring at him, tears rolling down her cheeks. He wanted to stay with her more than anything, but he had to follow the plan. As he turned to go , he whispered, "I'm sorry, but I can't." Kaldur/OC


**A/N: Because Kaldur is so neglected and in need of love. Irony: editing this on Doc Manager while listening to Pandora and the song Skinny Loves starts to play. Yep. It was meant to be. I really want to know what you guys think about this, so some constructive criticism would be totally awesome!**

* * *

Skin·ny Love

/'skinē/ /lǝv/

_Noun._

1. When two people love each other but are too shy to admit it, but they still show it.

2. Love that's too skinny to survive. It's not properly fleshed out, and is doomed to failure.

* * *

The moment he was in front of the holographic memorial, Kaldur knelt down on the cold, rocky ground and bowed his head in respect. He couldn't control the few tears that managed to escape and stain his cheeks. It had been two months since her passing, but he still relived that day every time he closed his eyes. She was haunting him, his love, _his_ Tula. Looking up, Kaldur didn't see the bright, smiling face the hologram projected, but instead saw a face distorted in pain and agony, filled with fear. He could no longer see Tula as the happy and strong woman, the hero that she was; now all he pictured was the lifeless, torn and beaten body of his childhood friend that he had held close to his body for hours, her blood spilling onto his lap.

"I'm… I am sorry," he finally stammered, his hands balling into tight fists. More tears ran down his face and dripped onto the grey stone. Kaldur had always been the calm and collected type, very good at hiding his feelings. He was the one that others would go to after a mission gone wrong, or when the Team fought, everyone took turns seeing him for guidance. But now was not one of those times. Now it was his turn to cry, even if there was no shoulder to cry on.

Kaldur looked at the base of the monument and saw that the flowers he had placed there last week were starting to wilt. He frowned at this. The white lilies had wrinkled and the sunflowers were losing their petals and seeds, making a small brown and yellow pile on the ground. Kaldur stood and walked over to the flowers. He swept the fallen petals and seeds into his hand and stuffed them into his pocket, and then he picked up the vase. His frown deepened.

"I will bring you new flowers, Tula. I know you love them."

When Tula had decided to join the Team two years back, she had become fascinated with flowers. There was plant life in Atlantis, wild plants of all colors and shapes, but never had she seen flowers. They were so delicate, but if tended and cared for, they could grow and bloom into true beauty. And Tula thought they were amazing. She had even started a small flower garden outside of the Cave.

Kaldur walked back up to the main floor with the vase of dying flowers held close to his body. Only M'gaan and Garfield were there; everyone else was either on a mission or back in their home cities, living their normal lives.

"Oh, Kaldur, I didn't know you were here!" squeaked M'gaan as she looked up from a magazine she was reading on the couch.

Kaldur stopped and gave his friend a small nod. "I have not been here long. I was just paying my respects. Where is Garfield?"

M'gaan stood up and walked over to Kaldur. "Oh, he and Mr. Carr have a tutoring session right now. They're working on history, so they'll be busy for a while," she laughed. M'gaan then took notice of the flowers. "Oh, those are nice."

Kaldur looked down. "They're dying."

"Oh…" M'gaan blushed. "Would you like me to get more flowers? I could pick some from the garden."

"No!" Kaldur snapped. M'gaan's eyes widened and looked taken aback by the anger that was in Kaldur's voice. He was never the kind to yell. Kaldur sighed and bit at his lip, looking down at the ground shamefully. "I am sorry, I did not mean to… It is just… Those are the flowers Tula grew… I would not want to pick them, only for them to die a few days later."

A hand rested on Kaldur's shoulder and he looked up to see M'gaan smiling warmly at him. "Kaldur, I understand." Smiling back at the Martian, she then said, "Y'know, I've seen this cute looking flower shop right downtown. It just opened I think. I'm sure they'd have something you'd like."

Kaldur nodded his head in appreciation. "Thank you, M'gaan, I think I will go there."

"I'll take care of these while you get new ones." M'gaan plucked the vase of old flowers from Kaldur's arms and walked over to the kitchen area, where she dumped the water down the sink and placed the flowers in the garbage. "Such a shame throwing them away like that, they were so pretty."

Kaldur's fixed gaze on the trash shifted when he noticed M'gaan staring at him with worried eyes. "Yes. It is a shame."

As Kaldur walked over to the zeta tube, M'gaan called out to him. "Kaldur, wait." Looking over his shoulder, he could see that M'gaan was anxiously fumbling with her thumbs, her eyes darting to look anywhere but at Kaldur. "I just want you to know… What happened, with Tula… You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. It wasn't… It wasn't your fault."

Silence followed and M'gaan slowly looked up to meet Kaldur's icy, blue eyes. They weren't cold or mean, but she saw that ever since Tula's death, they didn't hold the same life they used to. It made her sad knowing how much pain he was going through.

Kaldur turned into the zeta tube and as the computer announced his name and designation number, Kaldur mumbled out the words, "Yes it was," before the white light devoured him whole.

* * *

The September weather was chilly that afternoon, but nothing a warm jacket couldn't fix. And Kaldur didn't mind, he preferred the cold over hot weather anyways. The Atlantean walked down the street with his hands in his pockets and eyes looking up at all the store signs. He didn't know where the exact location of the shop was, but he was sure he'd find it soon enough. Kaldur had asked someone to point him in the right direction, and they had said to walk along the harbor.

A small bell chimed when Kaldur walked into The Busy Bee Florist. Immediately, he was surrounded by every species of flower imaginable, in every color that existed. The air was much hotter inside the shop than it was outside; however, Kaldur didn't mind. Usually hot temperatures bothered him, but it was so humid, he didn't have to worry about drying out. He unzipped his jacket and shook out the collar, inviting the wet air onto his thick skin.

Kaldur walked farther into the store – which was much bigger then he initially believed – and breathed in the pungent scent of the flowers. It was almost overwhelming for him. In the far corner of the store, there was a vacant counter. Kaldur decided to look around while he waited for an employee to help him.

Yellow tulips, white carnations, purple peonies, orange poppies, Kaldur didn't even know where to start. Usually when he went to get flowers, Kaldur would just buy a simple bouquet at the local market. This was the first time he had ever been to an actual flower shop. He leaned in to smell a long vine with small, white flowers.

"Jasmine is one of my favorites," said a voice. Kaldur stood and turned around, seeing a young woman lean her back against a wooden post. Old, jean shorts showed off her long, toned legs. Her sun-bleached hair was hidden beneath a red and white _Metropolis Monarchs_ baseball cap. A splash of freckles covered the bridge of her nose and cheeks. Her eyes were as green as the leaves that surrounded them.

"Y-yes, it has a nice fragrance," Kaldur nodded.

The woman pushed herself off of the post and walked toward Kaldur. "Sorry about not being at the counter. I was busy in the back and the bees make it impossible to hear when the door opens."

"Bees?"

The woman nodded. "Yep. This place isn't called Busy Bee for nothing! I have four functioning hives in the back. There's nothing better than fresh honey!" she grinned. "I'm Parker, by the way. Welcome to my store."

"You own this place?" Kaldur asked. She seemed a bit young to own a shop all by herself.

Parker nodded her head with a large smile on her face. "Yep. I work, own, and even live in this place! It's great. I moved here from Metropolis just a few weeks ago. Thought that the coast would be a nice change of scenery. Anyway, enough about me – if you're thinking about buying the jasmine, you need either trellises or a good wall that they can climb; they're creepers."

Kaldur shook his head. "I am actually here to buy a bouquet."

Parker's face lit up. "Okay. You can either buy a premade one or you can choose specific flowers and I can create a custom made one. Who are they for, if you don't mind my asking?"

The words _"true love" _got caught in his throat, so Kaldur settled on, "They're for a friend of mine."

"Well, this bouquet is one of my favorites: orange roses, purple megamotos, yellow spray roses, and some purple stock. It's a great combination for the transition from summer to fall." She gestured to a vase full with flowers. Right as Kaldur leaned in to look at it, Parker jumped in excitement and walked down a small isle. A moment later, she brought back a simpler vase filled with fewer flowers. "This one is fun, too. Bicolor roses, yellow dot poms, and fuju mums!"

Kaldur took the vase from the woman's hands and inspected the flowers. They were nice, but he didn't think they were right for Tula. He handed them back to the woman. "I don't think these are quite right."

"That's fine," she chirped. "What's the occasion for? Wedding? Party? Or just a surprise bouquet from a friend?"

"They're to put on her grave."

"Oh." Parker's energy quickly dropped as she looked solemn. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Kaldur nodded his head, but didn't say anything. He did not feel like talking about Tula with someone he didn't even know.

Seeing that he wasn't going to get into any details, Parker pointed to a bouquet comprised of mostly white flowers. "This is our premium sympathy bouquet with white Oriental lilies, snapdragons, white tulips, and eucalyptus stems. It's a little on the expensive side, but the vase that comes with it is free."

Kaldur wasn't a huge fan of the bouquet. It reminded him too much of a funeral. Next to it, however, was a much simpler yet eloquent bundle of flowers. "What about that one?" he asked.

Parker smiled. "Ah, yes: white roses, Queen Anne's lace, Star of Bethlehem, and green spray hypericum; a quiet and serene bouquet, the perfect arrangement to express your deepest sympathies."

"I'll take it," Kaldur said without hesitation. Parker nodded and picked up the vase. The two walked over to the counter. While he reached to pull out his wallet, Kaldur spotted a postcard that was pinned to the wall behind the counter. It was addressed to "Holden."

"Do you have a brother?" Kaldur asked, pointing at the card.

Parker turned and saw what he was pointing at. She laughed. "Uh, ha… no. My parent's sent that to me when they were in India. My real name is Holden, believe it or not. Holden Parker Shaw." Kaldur smiled and raised an eyebrow, intrigued at the fun fact. Parker shrugged as she finished tying a long, white ribbon around the neck of the vase. "My parents were _really _hoping for a boy, but they got me instead; weren't going to change the name they had picked out months prior, though, oh no. And Parker can go either way, y'know? Plus I just do _not_ look like a Holden. I even hated _Catcher in the Rye_! The name was not meant for me," she laughed.

"My name is Kaldur'ahm, but everyone calls me Kaldur."

Parker shook his hand and smiled. "It's nice to make you acquaintance Kaldur. Well, before I tally your total, is there anything else I can help you with?"

Kaldur couldn't think of anything else. He just wanted to get the flowers back to Tula's memorial. But then his ears picked up a faint sound from the other room, like a harmonic buzz. Kaldur couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. "Actually, could I maybe see your bees? I have never seen a bee hive."

"Of course!" cheered Parker with enthusiasm. Bees were something of a hobby for her, so she was excited someone actually wanted to see what she did. Parker stepped from behind the counter and led Kaldur over to the back, where a large, sliding glass door separated the inside of the flower shop from the large, outdoor balcony that overlooked the bay. "Right this way!" Parker said, opening the door.

The two stepped outside and Kaldur felt the warm air hit his face. He furrowed his brows and looked up at the sky. Clouds were hanging low, and it had been on the colder side when he walked to the store, but here on the balcony, it was warm, a little humid even. Parker didn't seem to pay any mind to the temperature as she glided across the deck. They walked passed potted shrubs and trees. _'More plants for sale,' _Kaldur thought.

Soon, the buzzing that had originally started as faint and quiet became loud and overpowering. "Here we are!" Parker said. There were four towers that were crawling with black specks. On closer inspection, Kaldur would see that each dot was a fuzzy, honey bee, busy at work. "Meet Paul, John, George, and Ringo."

"You have named them?" Kaldur asked, not taking his eyes off of the hives. He was watching one particular bee that seemed to be stuck.

"Yep," Parker nodded. "Each hive has its own personality, so it only seems right that they each get their own name. Ringo has been particularly fussy this season, but hey, what can you do?" Parker laughed and walked over to a table nearby, where she picked up a stick. "Here, stand back a little."

Kaldur did so and watched as Parker went to one of the hives and pulled out the top tray. Bees were swarming around it, but Parker didn't flinch as a few landed on her. "Shouldn't you be wearing a suit to protect yourself?" Kaldur asked.

Parker shook her head. "I'm not really afraid of being stung. Besides, the bees from John are really chilled back." She took the stick and wiped it along the tray. Small chunks of honeycomb fell off. She continued to twirl and roll it around for a few more moments, and then shoved the tray along with the bees back into the hive. The bees that had landed on her arm flew off and rejoined their hive. "Here, have this," Parker said, holding out the stick, which was now covered in an amber colored liquid.

Kaldur took the stick and looked at it. "Honey," he observed. A small droplet fell onto his hand.

"At its freshest," Parker smile. "Go ahead, try it."

Running his tongue along the thin stick, the honey flowed into his mouth. It was sweet and thick. Kaldur smiled. "It was very good, thank you."

"You're welcome," Parker said and turned to check on a few trays from the other hives, this time using a smoker. "I bet they don't have a honey in Atlantis, do they?"

Kaldur stopped. How did she know? He didn't respond, but watched as the young woman worked, her back turned to him. Was this somehow a trap? Was he being set up?

When Parker realized Kaldur hadn't responded, she turned around and saw his narrowed eyes. She blushed and put the smoker down. "I-I'm sorry… Do you not like people knowing that you're… I mean, you _are_ an Atlantean, right?" she stuttered sheepishly.

"Yes, I am," he replied, studying the girl closely. "How did you know?"

Parker blushed more. "Well, I wasn't staring at you or anything, I promise. I just noticed, your, um, _gills_." Parker slowly reached up and pointed at her neck.

Kaldur did the same and realized that his gills were showing, his jacket collar had fallen down. Quickly, he zipped it up, hiding his aquatic features once more.

"I'm sorry. That was rude of me. It's just, I've never met an Atlantean before, or at least, I don't think I have." Kaldur didn't say anything, but he eased up a little. "I've just heard so much about Atlantis," Parker stammered out. "I even took Atlantean as my language in high school. I didn't mean to offend you."

Raising his hand to stop Parker and her rant, Kaldur kindly said, "It is alright. I was just… worried. Some surface-dwellers do not take kindly to our kind."

Parker let out a small laugh, relieved that he wasn't mad. "I can't blame you. With guys like that jerk Godfrey, it must be hard." A small silence fell between them. "Well, before I make this anymore awkward, why don't I ring you up for those flowers and you can continue on with you day."

Kaldur nodded his head and they began walking back to the inside shop. "Yes, thank you very much."

* * *

**A/N: Oooookkkaaaay. Was that okay? Tell me the truth, how OCC was Kaldur? Because this takes place during the five year gap, Kaldur is more mature and stern – more so – than he was in season 1. I'd say he's about 19-20 years old in this. Don't know what else to add except, review?**


End file.
